Motor-vehicle-headlight indicator



Sept], 1925.

, H. R. ATKINSON MOTOR'VEHICLE HEADLIGHT INDICATOR Filed Aug. 21. 1924 iTTK Patented Sept. 1, i925.

UNITED. STA

TES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY R. ATKINSON, OFLOS AN GELES, CALIFORNIA.

MOTOB-VEHIGLE-HEADLIGHT INDICATOR.

Application filed August 21, 1924. Serial No. 788,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY R. ATKINSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in M0- tor-Vehicle-Headlight Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to headlights for'motor vehicles and more particularly to an indicating or tell-tale device that is adapted to be associated with a head'- light for the purpose of producing, while 7 of a headlight.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a headlight housing with an indicating or signalling device of my improved construction in position for use thereupon. v

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of Fig. 1. i

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a practical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates the housing of a headlight such asis ordinarily used on motor vehicles, 11 the bracket that supports said housing, 12 the reflector within the housing, 13 the electric lamp and- 14: the lens, all of said parts being of ordinary construction, and well known in the art.

In order to accommodate my indicating or tell-tale device, small apertures 15, in vertical alignment with each other and with lamp 13, are formed in the upper portions of housing 10 and reflector 12.

Secured in any suitable manner to the top of housing 10 is the base 16 of a small housing 17, preferably of metal,- said base having an aperture 18 thatcoincides with the aperture 15 in housing 10.

Formed in the. rear wall of this small housing 17 is an opening 19 and arranged thereover and suitably secured tos'aid housing is a disc 20, of transparent material, preferably glass, and either clear or colored. I prefer to use in the rear Wall of this housing 17 a small colored glass disc having facets on eithenoneor both of its faces, inasmuch as said provision tends to throw a number of concentrated light rays rearwardly from the tell-tale device.

Adjustably arranged within the housing 17 and supported by one or more adjusting screws, such as 21, that are seated in the wall of said housing, is a frame 22 that carries a small mirror 23 or member having a reflecting surface. be found desirable to utilize a'prism as'the In some instances it may light reflecting or refractingmember or sat-' I isfactory results may be attained by coating the interior of housing 17 with light reflecting material, such as white aint or enamel,

aluminum paint, or the interior of said housing may be nickel or silver plated; This refleeting member is adjusted by .proper manipulation of the screws 21, so'that itoccupies an angular position of approximately 45 relative to vertical and horizontal planes, directly above alined apertures 15 and 18 and to the rear of the transparent member.

Thus, whenever lamp 13 is lighted and as long as it remains lighted a small column or pencil of light will pass upward through alined apertures 15 and by the inclined mirror 23, the light rays in the column or pencil will be projected rearwardly through member 20, toward the drivers seat in the vehicle, thus providing a readily observed signal for assuring the driver that the headlight is lighted and functioning properly.

Obviously, when lamp 13 burns out, or the circuit thereto is opened by switch or otherwise, there will be no light rays projected from the device.

Thus-it will be seen that I have provided .105 a relatively simple, practical and inexpenj cator may be made and substituted for thoseherein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a headlight housing and the reflector therein, which housing and. reflector are provided a with apertures. that are in alignment with the lamp'thjat' is associated with said headlight, of a small housing mounted on the headlight I housing directly over the opening therein,

said'small housing having an opening in its base portlon that coincides wlth the open- 1 ing in the headlight housing, a reflector ad- 'justably arranged within said small housing, and a transparent member arranged in r mamas the rear wall of the small housing front 2 of said adjustable reflector.

2. The combination with a headlight housing and the reflector therein, which housing 'and "reflector are provided with apertures that are in alignment with the lamp that 25 is associated with said headlight, of a small housing mounted on the headlight housin directly over the opening therein, said sma 1 housing having an opening in its base portion that coincides with the opening in the 0 headlight housing, a reflector adjustably arranged within said small housing, the rear 7 wall of the small housing in front of said adjustable reflector being provided with an opening and afaceted transparent member 5 arranged in said opening. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' HARRY R. ATKINSON. 

